The 2019 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival is set to open on Sept 6 to commemorate the 2,570th birthday anniversary of the great philosopher in Qufu, East China's Shandong province, which is also the birthplace of Confucius.

A news conference was hosted on Sept 3 by the Information Office of the Shandong Provincial People's Government to detail the arrangements and schedule of the festival.

Officials said that nine major activities will take place during the event, including an opening ceremony, the award ceremony for the 14th UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy, a memorial ceremony to mark the 2,570th birthday anniversary of Confucius, as well as forums on traditional culture and tourism promotions.

The Confucius Prize for Literacy is the first international award to be named after a Chinese person by UNESCO. Established in 2005, the annual award ceremony has now been held in Qufu for 13 consecutive years.

Yan Jianbo, deputy Party secretary of Jining, said that in addition to the nine major events, the festival will include a series of cultural activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, promote traditional culture, and implement cultural programs to benefit the public.

The Confucius Museum in Qufu will also be officially inaugurated during the festival. The museum was designed to house 700,000 cultural relics from the Confucius Family Mansion and is located five kilometers away from the mansion.

The relics, including ceramics, jadeware, bronzeware, gold and silver objects, books, drawings, clothing, family archives, as well as well-preserved imperial robes from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), are believed to embody the Confucius family's values of holding traditions and education in esteem, exploring the ups and downs of the family, as well as social changes over the centuries.

The statue of Confucius in Qufu, a county-level city in the administrative area of Jining, Shandong province. [Photo/sdchina.com]

The Confucius Museum in Qufu, East China's Shandong province. [Photo/WeChat account: Jiningfabu]